Austria's summer season increases by 2.3%

Austria's tourism sector remains on a growth trajectory. According to preliminary figures released today by Statistics Austria, 117.89 million overnight stays were recorded between January and August – an increase of 1.5 percent compared to the previous year. The number of arrivals rose by 2.9 percent to 35.08 million.

The summer season so far is also developing positively: From May to August, 63.31 million overnight stays were recorded, 2.3 percent more than in the same period in 2025. The number of guests even increased by 3.7 percent to 20.33 million. August itself remained at the high level of the previous year with 21.33 million overnight stays.

For Tourism State Secretary Elisabeth Zehetner, the figures released just before World Tourism Day this coming Sunday send a strong signal to the industry: “117 million overnight stays in eight months demonstrate the strength and international demand for our tourism sector. Behind this, however, lie not abstract records, but tens of thousands of businesses and hundreds of thousands of people who work every day to ensure that guests enjoy coming to Austria. Tourism is a powerhouse of economic activity in our regions – from family-run hotels and traditional inns to cable cars, from retailers to regional producers.”

Three out of four overnight stays come from abroad.

International demand remains particularly strong. Around three-quarters of all overnight stays since the beginning of the year have been by guests from abroad. Overnight stays by foreign visitors rose to 88.79 million, while demand from Austria also remained stable at 29.10 million overnight stays.

Germany remains by far the most important foreign market with 43.89 million overnight stays. The Czech Republic saw particularly dynamic growth, with an increase of 10.6 percent to 3.59 million overnight stays. "Tourism is the export of local services. Guests come to us and bring purchasing power to our cities, valleys, and communities. Especially in regions where there isn't an industrial plant on every corner, tourism creates jobs, income, and economic opportunities. We must maintain this strength," said the State Secretary.

"One full August alone is not enough"

At the same time, Zehetner warns against measuring tourism success solely by ever new overnight stay records.

With Vision T, Austria has therefore presented its first tourism strategy extending to 2035, which places a stronger emphasis on value creation, appreciation, and preservation. At its core is a tourism industry that should be "valuable for everyone – 365 days a year." "A full August is gratifying. But a full August alone does not guarantee a financially sound business. What matters is what ultimately benefits the businesses, the employees, and the regions. Our goal is not simply to attract ever more guests. We want more value creation per guest, stronger businesses, and more economic opportunities throughout the year."

That's precisely why demand should be more evenly distributed between spring and autumn. This creates additional added value outside the traditional peak season, strengthens year-round jobs, and allows businesses to better utilize their investments.

Vision T: Competitive by 2035

The political guideline for this is Vision T. Besides year-round tourism and added value, it focuses on competitive businesses, a sufficient workforce, less bureaucracy, and innovation and digitalization. "Austria is one of the most successful tourism destinations in the world. Our goal must be to ensure that this remains the case in 2035. This won't be achieved by resting on our laurels with high overnight stay figures. We must invest, enable innovation, strengthen our family businesses, and consider tourism as a genuine economic hub."